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 Thursday, March 23
Surgery on Berard deemed success
 
Associated Press

 NEW YORK -- Bryan Berard of the Toronto Maple Leafs had his retina reattached after being accidentally hit with a hockey stick, but it's not certain if he will regain sight in his right eye.

Brian Berard
Berard

The 23-year-old former NHL rookie of the year and U.S. Olympian underwent 4½ hours of surgery Tuesday at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

Dr. Stanley Chang operated on the severely damaged retina but the team did not elaborate on Berard's condition.

Berard was released from the medical center Thursday and will travel to his home in Rhode Island, the Maple Leafs said.

Tom Laidlaw, Berard's agent, told Toronto news station Cable Pulse 24 on Tuesday that it is too soon to speculate on a possible return to hockey. The NHL does not permit players to play if they have sight in only one eye.

Laidlaw added that Berard hopes to come back to Toronto early next month to accompany the Leafs.

"I guess it depends on how comfortable he feels and how the eye progresses," Laidlaw said.

Berard has been unable to see out of his right eye since being hit by Marian Hossa's stick blade during Toronto's 4-2 victory March 11 at Ottawa. Berard, who was not wearing a visor, crumpled to his knees. A large pool of blood formed on the ice.

He sustained a cut cornea, detached retina and a fracture of the orbital bone surrounding the eye.

"Bryan's a lot more optimistic than he was after the injury, obviously, and he realizes that his chances of seeing 100 percent out of that eye again are not very good," Laidlaw told Canada's The Sports Network.

"But there's a good chance he'll regain some or a lot of that vision, and we'll see what happens. The hockey portion of it, although it's on his mind ... right now he's just trying to worry about seeing again."

Berard was selected No. 1 in the 1995 draft. After he refused to play for Ottawa, the Senators traded him to the New York Islanders.

He played for a Detroit junior team and was defenseman of the year in Canadian junior hockey in 1996. He moved up to the NHL and made an immediate impression, earning the Calder Trophy in 1997 as top rookie.

Toronto acquired Berard for goalie Felix Potvin on Jan. 9, 1999. In 64 games this season, Berard had three goals and 27 assists.
 


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